This was a very good topic. I was hanging around this shop when I was a kid and finally was ok'd for an apprenticeship. My art was dope at the time with an urban flare. He told me that I needed $1500.00 and I coils start on such an such a date. I didn't have the cash. I worked as a bouncer and musician. What I did was sell a bunch of s&!t to raise the money asap. Quit my bouncing job and headed to the shop 3 days later which was my start date. I get to the shop and the artist is gone. The other artists told me that he flew to Cali to work in another shop. I was bummed out. Had to get my job back and look like an asshole and sold a bunch of good s&!t that I couldn't get back. Last B-day my bro bought me a kit becaue he really wanted me to learn so he can get free tattoos. What a piece of s&!t that kit was. I took one look at it and told him to return it. LOL Cept they don't take returns. I think he threw it up on eBay or some s&!t. I ended up getting equipment which I liked and thought would be best. I haven't tat toed yet and I won't except for myself and my bro. He's been Scratched before and wants me to tattoo him enough until I get good to be at least competative for an apprenticeship. I'd like to keep a journal about this experience.

first, your cousin or brother or whoever is a professional tattoo artist? and advised you on which machines to purchase and such? im quite curious as a "scratcher" with no way to formally purchase from REAL companies what kind of machines he advised?

also when these people say STOP SCRATCHING and eating up peoples skin they mean it! whole heartedly nonetheless. real story here, i started tattooing just like any scratcher out there, cheap kit, cheap ink, overall junk, complete s&!t. work was SLOWLY progressing, because regardless your ownly going to progress as far as that cheap equipment allows. not very far. worst of all, after 2 years of scratching trying to better myself and built a portfolio. i was offered an apprenticeship. and had to stop tattooing naturally at that point. fast forward 5 months ahead and i get the chance to tattoo for the first time(2 months ago) my mentor is using a micky sharpz iron hybrid shader and steel hybrid liner. i felt dumb, the machines worked flawlessly but because i was so used to garbage it felt like i had just picked one up for the first time. i now own a pulse executive liner and have a custom built long stroker shader that i wouldnt change for the world. i should have waited and just pushed and pushed and pushed for an apprenticeship like recommended. but didnt, i was impatient and regret it.

serious advice myself and everybody else here is trying to give you. stop doing what your doing, your going to have more BAD work than GOOD doing what you currently are. just give it up and draw, draw, and oh yeah...keep drawing then present a portolio of your best work to a good artist at a reputable location. its easier for you to break a bad habit NOW then it is a year or so down the road for an artist when that habit has only gotten worse. there are too many things for you to learn on your own without the aid of a mentor/proper apprenticeship. can you find the stuff on the net? of course you can. especially here. but time spent here, trying to find the right way to do this and that, could be spent working on drawing techniques, drop in drop out with a pencil, on the line off the line shading with a pencil. all stuff you NEED to know then (in a shop) that is valuable to know now.

nobody wants to reprogram a robot that is set in its ways, do it the right way the first time. youll be much happier.